Noida hotels on overdrive to cash in on F1

India's maiden Grand Prix being held at Greater Noida this weekend has become a major money-spinner for the hospitality sector with all five-star hotels booked for the three days — October 28-30 — at inflated rates

Hotels and discs in Noida and Greater Noida are on an overdrive to cash in on the F1 fever. India's maiden Grand Prix being held at Greater Noida this weekend has become a major money-spinner for the hospitality sector with all five-star hotels booked for the three days — October 28-30 — at inflated rates.

Rooms have been given the shape of a racing circuit. Menus have become race-oriented.

The maximum tariff in some of the hotels has gone up to as much as Rs 30,000 a night against the average rate of Rs 7,500. Radisson Blu in Greater Noida has all the 175-odd rooms booked. Jaypee Group's five-star resort in Greater Noida, Jaypee Greens Golf & Spa Resort, has seen the tariffs shoot up like never before.

Radisson in Noida has booked all of its 126 rooms for the race days with the average basic room tariff hovering around Rs 19-20,000 against the usual tariff or Rs 10,500. The tariff for suites has gone up to Rs 30,000.

There are eight important hotels in Noida and Greater Noida. The Jaypee group has booked all Greater Noida hotels for a period between October 25-31. They have also booked Radisson and Park Plaza in Noida. In Greater Noida, about 600 foreign guests are currently staying.

In Noida, arrangements have been made at Park Plaza, Fortune Inn Grazia, Mosaic and Radisson. At Park Plaza, no room is available this weekend. The hotel has arranged for Russian musical programmes for the evenings. Radisson says all rooms have been booked either by the Jaypee group or race enthusiasts for the three days.

All major hotels have included, in their F1 package, sight-seeing tours and transport facilities," said a hotel owner.